San Antonio Bans Chick-fil-A from Airport for Lack of LGBTQ Support

Drive through customers wait in line at a Chick-fil-A restaurant on August 1, 2012 in Fort
Tom Pennington/Getty Images

The San Antonio city council has moved to ban fast food giant Chick-fil-A from the city’s airport because the company is famously supportive of traditional Christian values.

District 1 City Councilman Roberto Treviño entered a motion on March 19 to approve the city’s Food, Beverage and Retail Prime Concession Agreement but added a clause to ban the nation’s favorite fast food company from the list of vendors eligible to open a kiosk at the San Antonio International Airport.

“With this decision, the City Council reaffirmed the work our city has done to become a champion of equality and inclusion,” Treviño said, according to NBC News 4. “San Antonio is a city full of compassion, and we do not have room in our public facilities for a business with a legacy of anti-LGBTQ behavior”

Chick-fil-A was initially set to be one of the airport’s restaurant offerings, but the councilman’s motion came on the heels of a report by extremist organization Think Progress that highlighted the $1.8 million in donations to Christian groups that Chick-fil-A reported to its shareholders.

“Everyone has a place here, and everyone should feel welcome when they walk through our airport,” Treviño added. “I look forward to the announcement of a suitable replacement.”

Chick-fil-A called the attack “disappointing.”

“We would have liked to have had a dialogue with the city council before this decision was made. We agree with Councilmember Treviño that everyone is and should feel welcome at Chick-fil-A. We plan to reach out to the city council to gain a better understanding of this decision,” the fast food giant said in a statement.

According to the city, the new restaurants now include Smoke Shack BBQ and Southern Kitchen, Boss Wood Fired Bagels & Coffee, Sip Brew Bar and Market, and Local Coffee.

The concession agreement is a seven-year contract according to reports.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston.

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